Ray Nitschke
| Ray Nitschke | |
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Position (s): Linebacker |
Jersey numbers: 33, 66 |
| born December 29, 1936 in Elmwood Park , Illinois | |
| died on March 8, 1998 in Venice , Florida | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1958 - 1972 | |
| NFL Draft : 1958 / Round: 3 / Pick: 36 | |
| College : University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | |
| Teams | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Interceptions | 25th |
| the resulting gain in space | 385 yards |
| Touchdowns | 2 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
Raymond Ernest Nitschke (born December 29, 1936 in Elmwood Park , Illinois , † March 8, 1998 in Venice , Florida ) was an American American football player . He played for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL .
Player career
College career
Nitschke's parents died during his childhood, so he was raised by an older brother. He took his first football steps in high school before receiving a scholarship from the University of Illinois at Urbana and playing for their team, the Fighting Illinois . There he was also set up as a fullback and scored four touchdowns in this position . His traditional position was that of a linebacker . It was his older brother who persuaded him to turn down a baseball contract with the St. Louis Browns , an MLB team , and accept the scholarship.
Professional career
In the NFL Draft 1958 Nitschke was elected in the third round in 36th place by the Packers. In the first year Nitschke had significant teething problems, which was also due to the poor overall condition of the team - almost all games were lost this season. During the 58 season, Vince Lombardi was signed as the new coach . With him began the rise of the Packers to the dominant football team of the 1960s.
It was not until 1962 that Nitschke was finally able to assert himself with the Packers and gain a regular position. Nitschke was considered by his fellow players as a classic example of '' “ Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde "" labeled. While he was a rather reserved person in private, he was a tough, dreaded tackler on the field who seemed to enjoy brutally bringing his opponents to the ground. Nitschke was also tough on himself. During a training session, an iron part fell on his helmet, but luckily it did not pierce it. Nitschke continued as usual, as if nothing had happened. The Packers are still exhibiting the smashed helmet today. The relentless toughness of Nitschke made him one of the leading players in the Packers defense .
The Packers were able to win a total of five NFL Championship Games with Nitschke and their starting quarterback Bart Starr - in 1961 against the New York Giants with quarterback Y. A. Tittle under coach Allie Sherman with 37: 0 and again in 1962 against the Giants with 16: 7, with Nitschke captured two fumbles in this game .
In 1965, the Packers won against the Cleveland Browns under coach Blanton Collier with 23:12, 1967, carried the victory against the Dallas Cowboys under coach Tom Landry and quarterback Craig Morton with 34:27 and a year later, again against the Cowboys in the Ice Bowl with 21:17. The last two finals each meant the entry into the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The final was later renamed the Super Bowl . In Super Bowl I , the Kansas City Chiefs under coach Hank Stram with quarterback Len Dawson could be defeated with 35:10. In 1967 the Oakland Raiders were defeated in Super Bowl II under coach John Rauch and quarterback Daryle Lamonica with 33:14. In the first Super Bowl, Nitschke got six tackles and a sack , in the second game nine tackles.
1972, after 15 professional years and 190 games with the Packers in the regular season as well as after 25 interceptions caught , Nitschke ended his career.
Honors
Nitschke is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame , the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame , the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame , the National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team , the National Football League 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and of the National Football League 1960s All-Decade Team . He played in a Pro Bowl . His back number 66 is no longer assigned by the Packers. He was named the game's MVP for his performance in the 1962 NFL Championship Game . The newspaper "" The Sporting News "" voted him one of the best football players of all time. A bridge in Green Bay was named after him, and a Packers training ground also bears his name. In 1995, before the Super Bowl XXIX, he performed the coin toss for the seat selection.
After the career
Nitschke died of a heart attack while visiting his family in Florida . His body was cremated after his death, the whereabouts of his ashes are unknown. His wife died two years before him. Ray Nitschke leaves two sons.
Filmography
Nitschke also appeared as an actor in two films .
- 1968: Head
- 1974: The Longest Yard (The Longest Yard)
literature
- Jens Plassmann: NFL - American Football. The game, the stars, the stories (= Rororo 9445 rororo Sport ). Rowohlt, Reinbek near Hamburg 1995, ISBN 3-499-19445-7 .
Web links
- Data on the Ray Nitschke Bridge
- Statistics about Ray Nitschke
- Ray Nitschke in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Ray Nitschke with the Green Bay Packers
- Ray Nitschke in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Ray Nitschke in 18th place on the list of the best football players of all time ( Memento of the original from December 9th, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Death of Ray Nitschke
- ^ Obituary by Ray Nitschke New York Times
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Nitschke, Ray |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Nitschke, Raymond Ernest (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player and actor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 29, 1936 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Elmwood Park , Illinois |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 8, 1998 |
| Place of death | Venice , Florida |